Anna Ryder Richardson is back with another great blog post for us, this time on the varieties of lighting to consider before starting to design your kitchen. Read on for ideas on transforming your kitchen…
Lighting really is one of the most versatile design tools you can have when creating your kitchen. It can highlight, disguise, create atmospheres and act as a piece of art all within your space.
UP, DOWN
Ceilings in kitchens should be peppered to your own taste, with small down lights, flush to the surface to create the required room light. You can then add other functional pieces to give the ‘wow factor’, like the amazing ‘Elica Collection Star’, a stunning chandelier style cooker hood.
Be adventurous with your lighting choices. The obvious option is lighting under wall units but don’t forget there are areas all around your kitchen that can make use of interesting lights – tubes; rope lighting as fine as spaghetti that can be used on plinths, around the bottom of wall units or under worktops as a continuous outline of light; or wall washing with coloured light as a feature wall.
IN THE MOOD
Your kitchen needs to have many different looks, from day to night, social to study and, not forgetting, romantic.
This is where your mood lighting takes centre stage. Ideally the lighting should be changed at the touch of a button so as not to interrupt the mood you’re creating but of course this isn’t available on all budgets.
Let us never forget the power of candlelight, from the humble tea lights lining a windowsill to a floor standing giant tear-drop shaped candle. How candlelight changes the ambience in a room, with their endless flickering, makes them almost a living part of the evening.
REFLECTION
Mirrors have always been used to bounce light around rooms to make them appear bigger but now, coloured glass worktops stretching into seamless splashbacks gives reflections a whole new meaning. Could drive you mad with fingerprints but it’s so worth it! Finding an unusual reflective surface personalises a room so why not build it into your design from the beginning.
High-gloss, lacquered kitchen cupboards are stunning whether in black with dark wood or white gloss doors with coloured handle insets. The shine effect adds limitless dimensions with reflection and can be used in contemporary and more traditional schemes wanting a twist.
